Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-24
RAILROAD MEN ON STRIKE
THEY WILL SUBSIST ON SNOW
 RATHER THAN YIELD.

All Reading Employees, Except Those in
 the Passenger Service, May be Ordered
 Out Bodybuilding to Work with
 Non-Union Men.
 PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 24.-The Reading men from Port Richmond to West Falls went out on strike yesterday afternoon. Tine men who have gone out on this side of the Deia- ware embrace all the freight handlers, engi- neers and switchmen to the number of 1, 800. It is confidently stated that by tonight there will not be wheel moving between here and Pottsville.
 The first trouble began Thursday evening, when five shifting crews of the Reading rail road were discharged at Port Richmond by Superintendent Sweigard. The news of their discharge soon spread among other employees of the company in the Port Rich mond yard. It was learned that the crews were members of the Knights of Labor, and had refused to shift flour to the elevators be- cause several non-union men were employed there to unload the cars. When this infor- nation reached the ears of the union men employed in the elevators a general strike among them ensued.
 Word was soon communicated to the other Knights at work for the company, and by 6 o'clock more than 500 men were lounging about the corners of Lehigh avenue, Somer- set and Williams streets. The news of this large force of men quitting work was tele- graphed to the main office in this city, and Superintendent Sweigard was soon upon the scene of the strike. He positively refused to reinstate the shifting crews, and ordered the striking employees to return to their work. This they likewise refused to do, and last evening the men were still out
 oF 1~1,.k rk De-. Richmond Thursday night, and yesterday non-union men were put to work on the en- zines, but while not interfered with by the strikers they could do but little toward lift ing the blockade. The reason for the strike is stated by one of the leaders as follows:
 "This strike has been brewing for long time. It first began about wages, but has been brought to an issue from the fact that @ short time ago lot of 'scabs' were sent up here to take our places. What we demand is SIP per week for steady work, or thirty cents an hour when extra help is required. We consider our demands reasonable, and when it is taken into consideration that we are compelled to carry bags of grain weigh ing 28O pounds up several flights of stairs we ought to receive fair wages.
 s'For the past year we have been compelled to work for $9 a week, or fifteen cents an hour. Before we will return to work at this latter scale of wages we will eat snow. Ii this strike is not settled to-day the entire Reading road from here to Pottsville will be blocked"
 At the meetings held last night by the striking men, who control the Knights o1 Labor, desperate measures were taken. Or ders were issued, after it was found that the Reading company would not give in, tha all the employees of the road from Philadel phia to Williamsport be ordered out This only excepts the men in the passen ger service, and they claim that if satis factory arrangement is not reached to-day this service will also go out. The ind1ca tions are that it will equal the great strik of 1S77